Late At Midnight
by Zammie4eva
Summary: Sequel to What If and doubling as my Halloween fic. was gonna post if last year but totally forgot! better late than never I guess. Naruto has a nightmare on Halloween night and Gaara's there to comfort him. full summary inside


**Late At Midnight**

**Sequel to what if and doubling as my Halloween fic. Naruto's having a nightmare about Sasuke late on Halloween night and Gaara comforts him. Fluffy. GaaNaru yaoi dedicated to SupernaturalPrincess14**

**I own nothing**

Gaara heard the whimpering, of course how could he not, since he didn't sleep.

He heard it, but that didn't mean he did anything about it. At least not at first.

It had been less than five days since Gaara had taken up residency in Naruto's home after the Sasuke Retrieval Mission failed.

Now his friendship with the blonde he was now staying with had been established, it allowed Gaara to think about…other things.

Things that he thought he shouldn't be thinking about a friend.

Friends touched didn't they? He'd seen Naruto hug many of his friends, and Lee would put his hand on people's shoulders and backs and such things.

So it was normal, did that mean they could also do the things Gaara craved to do to Naruto?

Perhaps not. He was sure that friends did not have the urge to kiss their friends. On the lips. Deeply.

He shook himself to rid the thoughts from his mind.

He heard sniffling and more whimpering, and absently wondered what the heck it was so late at night.

It was about two and a half hours to midnight, on Halloween night, and at that very moment children disguised as demons, witches and ghosts were going around knocking on people's doors to get candy.

He snorted to himself. Children dressing up as demons, when two demons resided right under their naïve noses.

Ironic.

The whimpering came again, followed by a short scream. Gaara realised it was coming from inside the apartment, so he got up and looked around.

He got into Naruto's bedroom to see to blonde thrashing around in his sleep, whimpering and digging his nails into his own skin.

A great swell of emotion coursed through him, and briefly he wondered what it was.

It was overtaken by another strong emotion and he found himself compelled to move.

So he rushed forward and took the distraught blonde in his arms, whispering and muttering words of comfort.

Naruto woke up from his dream and looked up at Gaara. His eyes went teary.

"Gaara…" the blonde wrapping his arms around Gaara's neck and Gaara – being the affection deprived child he was – was at a loss of what to do next.

He'd never comforted someone before. As he told Naruto in the hospital, he'd be there for him if he was needed, but he didn't know how to…be there.

_**Can't do much more than hug him at this point. **_Shukaku grumbled in his mind.

_Wait now you're helping me? Whose side are you one anyway? _Gaara snapped.

_**My own side. And right now I feel like helping. So, hug the kid and tell him it's going to be alright, even if it's not. **_

Gaara grudgingly did as he was told and the sobbing kitsune eventually calmed down and went still and lax in his arms.

"What did you…dream about?" Gaara asked gently.

"Oh Gaara it was horrible. I was running after Sasuke, but no matter how hard I ran, I couldn't reach him, it was like there was a barrier in between me and him. I couldn't stop him!" Naruto said.

Gaara's hand clenched into fists. Oh how he hated Sasuke!

Naruto remembered Gaara's hatred towards the Uchiha and looked up.

"Sorry Gaara, you probably don't want to hear this," he said.

"I want to hear about anything that makes you upset, that way I can help you." Gaara answered immediately.

_**Hey, that was actually pretty smooth kid. **_

_Shut up Shukaku. _

Naruto sighed and shuffled in Gaara's arms, moving into a more comfortable position.

"Naruto…do you want me to stay with you? It might help the nightmares go away," Gaara said hesitantly.

Naruto looked up. "You'd do that? Thanks Gaara!" he beamed.

The boy moved over so Gaara could fit under the covers, then settled himself in the redhead's arms, cuddling up to him like he was a teddy bear.

Gaara put his arms around the blonde and found, to his surprise, that it was actually quite comfortable.

_What are these feelings I have?_ He wondered.

"Naruto…what is it when you feel completely devoted to one person, when you'd do anything and everything for that person if they asked, just to see them smile?" he asked quietly.

The boy in his arms curled into the foetal position and rested his forehead against Gaara's, opening his blue eyes to stare into Gaara's icy green ones.

"That's love Gaara. True love. it's different to family love or friend love, it's stronger, that's called being _in_ love." he answered.

Gaara looked down and closed his eyes briefly. Then he looked up again.

"Then…in that case…I'm in love with you," he said nervously.

Naruto slowly smiled. He shifted closer to Gaara (I didn't think that was possible at this point!) and kissed Gaara softly on the lips.

The two boys stayed frozen in time like that, before Gaara brought a hand to cup the other boy's cheek and pulled back, smiling.

Naruto smiled. "I love you too Gaara." He said.

Gaara rested his head in the crook of Naruto's neck and the two demons stayed like that until morning.

Naruto fell asleep somewhere between one and two a.m. but Gaara of course doesn't sleep, so he listened to Naruto's even breathing and felt this 'love' for him swell in his chest.

_So that's what it was. Love. _Gaara mused to himself.

Outside, the last of the trick-or-treaters were going home, all avoiding the two demons' home, and for that Gaara was glad.

They didn't know what a real demon really was, or the feelings they really carried.

But he did. They did. Because they were. They are.

And they are together.

"You won't ever be alone again Gaara, I promise," Naruto mumbled before falling asleep.

No, Gaara thought, I won't be. Because you'll always be there Naruto. Always.

They would be together forever.

In his heart, Gaara truly believed that.

And once, just once, he allowed himself to sleep.

It was a pleasant sleep, with dreams of the blonde whose arms he was currently residing in.

And Shukaku didn't stir once.

**Owari.**

**Oh man I got a cavity writing this! Hope you enjoyed it!**


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